Feeder.



PATENTBD DEC. 13, 1904.

C. W. THOMAS.

FEEDER.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 25, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR Charles T]: 0722 an? Arromvns UNITED STATES CHARLES W. THOMAS,

Patented December 13, 1904.

OF KENT, NEW YORK.

FEEDER,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 777,355, dated December 13, 1904.

Application filed February 25, 1904. Serial No. 195,186. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES XV. THoMAs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kent, in the county of Orleans and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Feeder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to feeders for threshingmachines, and more particularly to those adapted for operating upon beans and the like.

It has for its principal objects the provision of such an apparatus .which will deliver the vines loosely and evenly to the threshing-cylinder and free from stones and lumps of dirt.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of my invention, parts being-broken away or removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking from the left in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the reciprocating frame and parts mounted thereon with a portion broken away, and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

M designates a main frame, here shown as made up of vertical and horizontal frame members and an inclosing casing 11. One end is adapted for attachment to a threshing machine T, a portion of which is indicated in Fig. 2. At the opposite end of the main frame from that which is to be attached to the threshing-machine is supported a carrierframe C, preferably made in two sections 0 O each consisting of a bottom board 12 and opposite side boards 13 13, connected by longitudinal corner-braces 14. The section 0 may be fixed to the sides of the main frame by its side boards and the outer section O pivotally connected thereto by what is here shown as a strap-hinge 15, which permits the section O when not in use to be folded down under the main frame. The outer section may be supported in its horizontal or operating position by means of a stay 16, conveniently pivoted to a bar 17, secured near the upper portion of the main frame and having at its opposite end a loop or eye 18, which may engage a pin or projection 19 from a strap 20, which may also serve to strengthen the side boards.

J ournaled in the opposite frame members 10 is a transverse shaft 21, upon which within the side boards of the carrier-frame are lixed a pair of sprockets 22 22 and upon one of its outer ends a large sprocket 23.

tends a shaft 25, upon which are secured a pair of sprockets 26, lying in the same longitudinal planes as the sprockets 22. Outside the carrier-frame are bearing-strips 27 27, in which the shaft 25 rotates, these strips being adjustably secured in place by bolts 28 operating through the slots. Over the sprockets 22 26 extend endless carrier-chains 2E) 29, to which at suitable intervals are connected crossbars 30, operating over the bottom board 12. Upon each cross-bar is a series of preferably rearwardly-curved projections 31. The tension of the carrier-cl'iains may be varied by the adjustment of the bearing-strips 27 and any wear which may occur in them or their sprockets readily taken up.

Pivoted at 32 upon the horizontal frame members 10 are shown opposite pairs of links 33 33, upon which is hung a frame R, made up of a bottom board 34 and side boards 35. Th is frame may be reciprocated by a connecting-rod 36, pivoted at the end of the links and having upon its opposite end a strap 37 of an eccentric 38,which is shown as mounted upon one of the shafts 39 of the thresher. Supported near the top of the frame R and extending for a portion of its length is a substantially horizontal feeding and separating table 40, provided with projections preferably in the form of longitudinal serrated bars 41, having the straight faces of the teeth turned toward the forward end of the feeder or in the direction of delivery of material. The outer bars 42 are shown as of greater height than those between them and serve as sides for the table. At the forward end of the table is a second table i3,which may be considered an end section of the former. This is pivoted to the sides of the reciprocating frame The outer end of the carrier-frame is slotted at oppo-a site sides at 24, and through these slots GX-.

at 44 at some distance below the table 40, so that an intermediate space is left. Upon this second table are mounted toothed bars 45, similar to those upon the companion table, and it.

may be adjustably retained in position by opposite slotted arms 46, through which bolts from the side of the main frame pass and have upon their inner ends thumb-nuts 48.

Supported between the sides of the frame R below the table 40 is a rather coarse screen 49, from one end of which extends achute 50, and below the screen 49 is a finer screen 51, having at the end opposite the chute 50 a chute 52. Below the screen 51 is an opening 53 in the bottom board.

J ournaled in the casing of the main frame over the juncture of the endless carrier and the table to which it delivers and over the delivery end of the table are shafts 54, upon which are mounted cylinders or heaters 55 and 56, respectively. These beaters are shown as of skeleton form and are both provided with curved teeth 57 similar to those upon the carrier.

Beneath the carrier-frame, at opposite sides of the main frame, are curved arms 58, in which are keyhole-slots 59 for removably securing them by their coaction with headed projections or bolts 60, extending from the frame members 10. In the lower end of these arms is journaled a shaft 61, carrying a fan 62, inclosed in the usual casing 63, the throat of which casing delivers beneath the table 40 and above the screen &9. This casing may be provided, as is common, with an adjustable deflector or wind board 64:. The removal of the arms, with the supported fan and its casing, permits the swinging of the outer section of the carrier-frame under the main frame, as has been previously described.

On the shaft of the beater 56 is fixed a pulley 65. Upon the opposite end is a sprocket 66, over which a chain 67 passes to a sprocket 68 upon the shaft of the beater 55. Upon the opposite end of this latter beater-shaft is a sprocket 69, the chain 7 O of which engages a sprocket 71 upon a shaft 72, journaled in the lower part of the main frame and also coacts with and drives the sprocket 23 upon the carrier-shaft 21. The shaft 7 2 may carry a pulley 73, over which and over a pulley 7 4'. on the fan-shaft operates a belt 75.

Power being applied to the main drivingpulley 65, the elements are rotated by the gear ing in the. direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 at the proper relative speed. The beans to be threshed are placed upon the carrier and are moved forward over the bottom board by the toothed bars until they reach the beater 55, which is moving at a considerably higher rate of speed than is the carrier. This differential movement serves to tear apart and loosen up the vines, distributing them quite evenly upon the reciprocating table,

which by means of the serrated teeth urges them forward onto the end section. Here the separated beans,stones,and lumps of dirt,dust, and the like which have been deposited between the bars and moved along the bottom of the table will fall back through the space upon the upper screen. This will retain all stones and lumps of dirt, which will be discharged through the appropriate chute, while the beans will fall through the meshes upon the finer screen and be discharged through the opposite chute. The finer material will fall through the lower screen upon the bottom board and escape through the opening therein. The leaves, chaff, and some of the fine dirt will be directed by the blast at the end section and pass into the thresher with the vines, which will be urged forward and distributed to the cylinder by the beater 57. The adjustment of the end section will serve to vary the rate of movement of the vines into the thresher and to a certain extent the character of the .material which will be retained by and discharged from the reciprocating frame. The latter may also be regulated by a variation in the strength and direction of the blast.

It will be seen that my improved feeder will secure a very even rapid feed of the beans to the threshing-cylinder and insure freedom from stones, which would endanger the latter. It will also remove considerable waste material as a preliminary to threshing and will save any of the previously-separated beans without rendering them liable to be broken by the action of the cylinder.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a feeder, the combination with a reciprocatory frame, of a table fixed therein, a table pivoted below the discharge end of the fixed table, slotted arms projecting from the pivoted table, and bolts extending from the frame through the slots.

2. In a feeder, the combination with a reciprocatory frame, of a table fixed therein, a table pivoted below the discharge end of the fixed table, means for varying the position of the pivoted table, and a screen mounted in the frame below the inner end of the pivoted table.

3. In a feeder, the combination with an endless carrier, of a reciprocatory table having an upwardly-inclined end section and provided with feeding projections to which the carrier delivers, a rotatable beater situated over the juncture of the carrier and table, and a second rotatable beater at the upper end of the inclined end section.

4. In a bean-feeder, the combination with a main frame adapted for attachment to athreshing-machine, of a feeding-frame mounted to reciprocate in the main frame and having a substantially horizontal imperforate table, an imperforate inclined table situated with its lower end below the delivery end of the hori- I In witness whereof I have signed my name zontal table to leave a space through which to this specification in the presence of two subheavier material may pass, and feeding-bars scribing witnesses.

extending longitudinally of both tables and CHARLES W. THOMAS. being provided with projections arranged to Witnesses:

urge lighter material toward the threshing- JAMES THOMAS,

machine. H. S. BEARDSLEY. 

